Harpies
Harpies are a mythical avian creatures first referred to in the eleventh Dark Parables ''game, The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree and who appear in its bonus game, A Fable of Two Hearts. They are the predecessors, ancestors and arch enemies of the Swan Guard. The harpies are based on the traditional Harpy seen in Greek and Roman mythology. Appearance and Personality Harpies have the heads, torsos, and arms of human women with powerful, muscular bodies and beautiful yet fierce faces. Large, dark-colored feathered wings sprout out of their backs and they have the talons of birds for feet and fingers. From the knee downwards, their human legs become bird legs. They dress in crude leather outfits and armor. Most harpies have light grey hair which they wear in a braid but the Harpy Queen dresses in darker clothing, has darker feathers and bright blue hair. Harpies have strong animalistic instincts and are slaves to these instincts. They are also envious and their jealousy can blind them, sending them into a rage. Because of their predatory instincts, harpies will kill in cold blood. They are capable of thinking rational thoughts as they knew how to manipulate the Traitor of the Guard into obeying them and recognized the danger of the wind flute. History Goddess Flora originally created the harpies to protect the Dire Tree from harm but the harpies succumbed to their animal instincts and began to attack all who crossed their path. Flora saw her mistake in granting the protection of the Dire Tree to the harpies and replaced them with the Swan Guard who she created specifically to take on roles of great responsibility. The harpies watched as the guard was given everything they were promised and in an act of irrational jealousy, the harpies attacked and slaughtered many, including the reigning Swan Princess. After the horrible massacre, the Swan Guard hunted down all of the harpies. They discovered their lair beyond the Enchanted Forest and imprisoned them in wind prisons throughout Dire Island. When harpies began to escape and terrorize the inhabitants of the Swan Kingdom, the reigning Swan Princess, Odette, investigated the matter. She found that one of her own men, a Traitor of the Guard, was responsible for releasing the Harpy Queen and allowing her to begin rebuilding the harpy lair. Princess Odette unmasked the traitor and defeated the Harpy Queen once and for all, saving the Kingdom from the threat. Without their Queen, it is assumed that any remaining harpies likely died off in time. Powers and Abilities * '''Flight: '''A harpy's wings grant her the power to fly with speed and agility that matches or surpasses the Swan Guard. * '''Talons: '''Harpies have sharp talons for toes and fingers and they are efficient enough to serve as weapons capable of withstanding the more advanced weaponry of the Swan Guard. Their claws are lethal and can deliver fatal wounds. * '''Strength: '''The strength of the harpies is superior to the power of the Swan Guard. A single harpy is capable of lifting a grown man in metal armor into the air. Even a master hunter can succumb to the power of these avian warriors. Relationships * Harpy Queen (leader, deceased) * Flora (creator) * Swan Guards (successors) * Traitor of the Guard (ally, unknown) Gallery Character= f2h-harpy-attacking-druid.jpg|Harpy Attacking the Druid f2h-odette-attacks-harpy.jpg|Odette Attacks the Harpy f2h-harpy-taken-down.jpg|The Harpy Gets Zapped f2h-dead-harpies.jpg|Dead Harpy f2h-harpy-queen-in-lair.jpg|Harpy Queen F2h-harpy-queen-wings-down.jpg|Harpy Queen with lowered wings F2h-harpy-queen-magic.jpg|Harpy Queen defeated |-|Depictions= tsp-harpies-swan-guard-niche.jpg|Diorama of Swan Guard fighting Harpies, ''The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree tsp-treasury-vault.jpg|Statue of a Harpy in the Swan Kingdom Vault, The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree f2h-harpy-talons-opening.jpg|Harpy Talons, A Fable of Two Hearts f2h-harpy-swan-guard-fight.jpg|Harpy Attacking Swan Guard, A Fable of Two Hearts |-|Artifacts= tsp-harpy-book-on-podium.jpg|Book About Harpies in Swan Archives tsp-shining-harpy-scroll.jpg|Glowing Harpy Scroll f2h-harpies-creation-note.jpg|Note on Creation of Harpies f2h-swan-harpy-notes.jpg|Note on Swans and Harpies f2h-harpies-imprisoned-note.jpg|Note on Imprisonment of Harpies |-|Other Images= Dp11-concept-04.jpg|Harpie Queen concept art f2h-harpy-eye-in-woods.jpg|Harpy's Eye in the Woods f2h-harpy-lair.jpg|Harpy Lair Category:A to Z Category:Characters Category:Antagonists Category:Bestiary Category:Hybrids Category:Monsters Category:Deceased Category:The Swan Princess and the Dire Tree Category:A Fable of Two Hearts